


Cold Little Heart

by ExtraSteps



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Liam calls Theo to help, Liam is exhausted, M/M, Mason and Corey have been kidnapped, Theo left, ambiguous ending, angst ensues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 20:36:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13131690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExtraSteps/pseuds/ExtraSteps
Summary: Written for the Thiam Secret Santa on tumblr for Laugers.Liam calls Theo for help when Corey and Mason are kidnapped by hunters.





	Cold Little Heart

**Author's Note:**

> God it's so angsty. I'm sorry guys.

Scott, Stiles, Lydia, Malia, Derek, Peter, Jackson, Ethan, Hayden, the entire McCall Pack, were all gone. Off to college, or a job, or just travelling, to all the corners of the world

The only line of protection left in Beacon Hills was a beta werewolf with IED, a chameleon chimera, and a human with a misshapen bat. To be fair, most days it was enough. The Dread Doctors were gone. The Ghost Riders were gone. The Anuk-ite was gone. No supernatural being was quite willing to risk it, these days.

But for Liam it was still hard work, keeping the hunters at bay while trying to maintain his GPA and lacrosse captaincy. If there was just someone else to help out with patrols, maybe it would not be so hard, but there was no one else.

Every now and again Liam thought about Theo, had wondered what he was up to, finger hovering over the call button, staring at his name. But every time he had slowly lowered his phone and put it back in his pocket, something stopping him from reaching out.

Theo had been through so much, and though he was no longer pretending to be the embodiment of pure evil, he had left, claiming that he had needed some time to get his head screwed on right.

Now, though, Liam did not have the luxury of giving Theo space.

The phone rang four times before it picked up. “Hey Liam.”

“Theo,” Liam said urgently. “I need your help.”

He heard the sound of the truck starting up in the background. “Text me the address,” Theo instructed, and then hung up. Liam pulled the phone away from his ear, mouth gaping open. That was it? No ifs, buts or maybes? Just, text me the address?

Liam shot off the text and paced as he waited for Theo to arrive.

Five minutes later Theo pulled up in front of him, and Liam jumped into the passenger seat.

“What happened?” Theo asked.

“Hunters. They took Corey and Mason,” Liam said, putting his seatbelt on.

“Where are we going?” Theo asked.

Liam pulled out his phone, showing Theo the address that the hunters had texted him. Theo put it into his GPS and took off. “You know it’s a trap, right?” Liam said.

“Of course it is,” Theo said grimly. “We can handle it.”

Liam stared at him, taking in the minute changes from the past few months. His hair was longer, curling around the nape of his neck. Theo brushed at it impatiently, pushing it out of his face. He had stubble, like he had not shaved for at least a week. It made him look older. He was also wearing a brown leather jacket that looked fairly new, and dark jeans.

He looked healthy, rested.

The last time Liam had seen Theo he had looked pale, with dark bruises under his eyes from lack of sleep. Something had been haunting him, but he had never talked about it, and Liam had never asked.

Liam had been afraid that Theo dying was becoming unavoidable with the way he had thrown himself into fight after fight, with no care for his own wellbeing and no sense of self-preservation. He had lost count of the amount of wounds Theo had taken for him. He had been heartily sick of seeing the chimera bleed for him.

He had been sad to see Theo go, but now that he was looking at him and could see how it had helped, he knew it had been the right decision.

“I missed you,” he said suddenly. Theo’s hands tightened on the steering wheel and then relaxed.

“Yeah?” He asked.

“I nearly called so many times,” Liam said, looking away, a light blush dusting his cheeks.

“I wouldn’t have minded,” Theo smiled.

“Oh,” Liam said, feeling foolish. “I didn’t want to disturb you.”

“Liam,” Theo scolded, glancing at him and then back at the road. “Why would you think that?”

“I know you needed to leave, needed some space,” Liam said quietly, biting his lip.

“Not from you,” Theo said softly. “From the fighting, from the nightmares, from the pain.”

“Pretty well sums up my life these days,” Liam said bitterly. Theo pulled over and looked at Liam sharply, eyes intense as he looked Liam up and down, leaning closer to inhale his scent, sifting and categorising his emotions.

“Maybe I should have taken you with me,” he said after a moment. Liam’s heart thudded, and he ducked his head.

“You look great,” Liam said after a moment of gathering himself. “You have to tell me your secret.”

“Get the hell out of dodge,” Theo said simply, still watching him. Liam looked everywhere but at Theo.

“That’s not really possible. Scott left me in charge.”

“Fuck Scott,” Theo said, raising an eyebrow at him. “You have to look after yourself. Let him worry about guarding the nemeton.”

“Tempting,” Liam sighed, staring out the window.

“He’s the alpha,” Theo said, grabbing his arm and making him turn to look at him. “It’s his problem, not yours.”

“He trusts me,” Liam said, his eyes pleading with Theo, begging him to understand. He could not just disappoint his alpha.

“Fuck this,” Theo growled, dropping his arm. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and started a video call, tapping his finger on the steering wheel while it rang.

“Theo?” Scott said, his face scrunched up in confusion as he answered the call.

“Scott,” Theo said, nodding at him. “We need to have a chat.”

“What’s going on?” He asked, eyes sharp.

“Your little beta is working himself to the bone looking after this fucking town, and it needs to stop,” Theo said. He glared at Scott, jaw set in a determined manner.

“What are you talking about?” Scott asked. Theo turned the camera on Liam so that Scott could see him.

“Hey Scott,” Liam said quietly, lower lip wobbling at the concern in Scott’s eyes as he searched Liam’s face.

“Liam, what- why didn’t you tell me?” Scott asked.

“I didn’t want to let you down,” Liam said, shifting in his seat.

“Theo,” Scott growled. “Why didn’t you tell me it was getting this bad?”

Theo turned the camera back on himself, suddenly looking guilty. “I didn’t know. I haven’t been around for awhile. I was dealing with my own shit, putting myself back together. I was a fucking mess.”

“It’s true,” Liam agreed. “And I didn’t call him.”

“You guys should have been looking out for each other,” Scott sighed. “You’re pack. And Liam, I told you to call me if you needed help.”

“I thought I could handle it,” Liam muttered.

“So, what’s going on right now?” Scott asked. Liam and Theo jumped, remembering their purpose. Theo handed Liam the phone so that the beta could talk to Scott while he drove.

“The hunters have captured Mason and Corey, they texted me an address. I called Theo to help,” Liam explained.

“How many hunters?” Scott asked.

“I have no idea,” Liam said, shaking his head. “I didn’t even know they were gone until they didn’t show up for school and I got the message.”

“Alright,” Scott said, going into alpha mode. “Text me the address they sent you. I’ll get Argent to back you up. Derek’s not too far away either, so I’ll see if he can get there in time to help you. Can’t hurt to let the Sheriff know, too.”

“Ok,” Liam nodded.

“And Liam?” Scott said. “Be careful, both of you. Look out for each other.”

“We will,” Liam nodded.

“We’ll talk about the other thing once Mason and Corey are safe, I promise,” Scott said. Liam nodded, giving him a weak smile.

“Bye,” Liam said.

“We’ll talk soon,” Scott promised, ending the call.

Liam sent the text and then handed Theo his phone back. He leaned back into the chair, sighing.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Theo asked, glancing at him.

“I suppose,” Liam said, fidgeting in his chair. He felt raw, exposed. There was nothing he hated more than feeling like a disappointment.

“Hey,” Theo said, shaking him out of his reverie. “You have nothing to feel bad about. It’s ok to need some time to look after yourself. Do you feel like I let anyone down because I had to leave for a bit?”

“No,” Liam responded, shaking his head vehemently.

“Then why is it different for you?” Theo said gently.

“I don’t know, it just is,” Liam growled.

“Look, Liam, you and I, we make a pretty good team. We’re gonna go to this stupid little hunter base, kick some ass and save Mason and Corey,” Theo said, determination shining in his eyes as he glanced at Liam. “And then after that, I’m taking you on a fucking holiday.”

“A holiday?” Liam asked, his lips twitching into a smile.

“Yep, wherever you wanna go,” Theo said.

“I have school, and lacrosse,” Liam pointed out.

“Who cares? The way you look, I doubt you’ve been excelling at either recently,” Theo said, raising an eyebrow at him.

“That’s true,” Liam admitted, his shoulders slumping. He had been so tired, always falling asleep in class and forgetting about assignments, and Coach was starting to threaten his captaincy if there was no improvement in his effort in the games and at training.

“One week off won’t hurt,” Theo said with a shrug. “Then you’ll be back, good as new, and you can go back to being Liam Dunbar, history nerd and superstar athlete,” he said with a mocking grin.

Liam rolled his eyes. “Yeah, whatever, let’s just focus on finding Mason and Corey.”

“For now,” Theo said, smirking at him.

***

They pulled up about a kilometre away from the address that had been given to Liam and got out of the truck. They were on the very edge of Beacon Hills, where there was mostly old farmsteads and shacks.

“We’ll go cross-country,” Liam said.

“Avoiding the roads,” Theo nodded. “Good idea.”

Liam set off, checking Google Maps on his phone periodically to make sure he was heading in the right direction.

“I think that’s it,” he whispered to Theo.

Ahead of them was a huge barn, with at least four or five cars and trucks parked in front of it.

“That’s a lot of hunters,” Theo said, narrowing his eyes as he counted heartbeats. “At least seven, if we assume that two heartbeats belong to Mason and Corey.”

“They’re definitely here,” Liam said, scenting the air. “I can smell them.”

“We should wait for Argent,” Theo said.

“Yeah, let’s go around the back and see if we can pick any off while we wait,” Liam said.

“Bloodthirsty,” Theo smirked. Liam rolled his eyes, walking away, Theo following him.

They made sure to stay out of sight, eyes glowing and ears peeled for the slightest noise. They could easily have placed sentries and traps in the trees. If they were hunters worth a damn then it was almost inevitable.

Theo’s phone buzzed just as they reached the other side.

“Argent says he’s ten minutes away,” Theo whispered, showing the text to Liam.

“Perfect,” Liam said. “If we get caught, he can bail us out,”

He went to step forwards, but Theo held him back. “You’re being reckless, why?”

“Those are my best friends in there,” Liam growled.

“Getting yourself killed won’t help anyone,” Theo said, eyes narrowed in anger.

“I don’t care about that,” Liam said dismissively. “As long as they’re ok, it doesn’t matter if I get hurt.”

“It does fucking matter,” Theo snarled, shoving him against a tree, his hands bunched in Liam’s jacket. Liam struggled, trying to get away, but Theo was a lot healthier than him at the moment, whereas Liam was running on three hours of sleep and a protein bar.

“What do you care?” He muttered.

“Of course I fucking care,” Theo hissed.

“You left,” Liam said, looking at him, his eyes finally showing the pain he had been swallowing down for months.

“I needed to,” Theo said, his hands soothing down Liam’s chest. “But I would have come back in a heartbeat if you asked me to.”

Liam stared at him, mouth gaping open like a fish. “Why?”

“You’re so fucking dense,” Theo scowled. And then he was leaning forwards and kissing him with all the passion he could muster. It lasted for maybe ten seconds, and then he pulled away. Liam gasped for breath, feeling like he had run a marathon.

“Oh,” Liam said, one hand reaching up to rub at his sensitive lips.

“No suicide missions,” Theo growled, turning away and walking a bit closer to the barn.

“Ok,” Liam whispered, following after a few moments.

On this side of the barn, they could see an open door. From it they could hear the low hum of conversation, though they could not pick out individual words.

“We just need to wait a few more minutes,” Theo said in a low voice. “Argent is nearly here.”

“I don’t know if I can,” Liam said, restless, his eyes intent on the barn, fangs bared, claws digging into his palms. It was like the closer he got to the barn, the less control he had. Theo grabbed his hand, soothing his thumb over Liam’s palm, rubbing small circles.

“They’ll be fine,” Theo said quietly.

Liam took a deep, shaky breath and nodded.

They watched the barn. There was no movement inside, only the hum of conversation and nine steady heartbeats. Liam jumped when Argent seemed to materialise beside him.

“This is the address they sent you?” He asked. Liam confirmed with a nod.

“It’s a fake,” Argent said.

“How can you tell?” Theo asked urgently.

“I can see the flicker of the TV through the door,” Argent said, pointing. “Which accounts for the conversation. They probably have something rigged to play heartbeats.”

“I can smell them,” Liam said, frustration seeping into his tone.

“Oh they were here at some point, definitely,” Argent agreed. “But it’s just a giant trap. I can tell you that as soon as you touch that door handle, something would explode.”

“So if they’re not here, then where are they?” Liam growled.

“Somewhere close enough that they would hear the explosion, but not so close that you could hear or smell them,” Argent mused.

Liam pulled out his phone, checking the surrounding properties on Google Maps. Argent and Theo looked over his shoulder.

“That one, maybe,” Argent said, tapping the screen. It showed a large farmstead a few kilometres away.

“Alright, let’s go check it out,” Theo said.

“What do we do about the barn?” Liam asked. “Do we just leave it?”  
  
Argent frowned. “I’m not sure. On the one hand, if they don’t hear anything they’ll be suspicious, but on the other hand, they might just kill Mason and Corey if they think they managed to kill you.”

They all paused as the heard the sound of a vehicle pulling up, circling back around the house, they saw that it was Parrish and Stilinski.

“Hey,” Argent said, moving forwards and waving, getting their attention.

They met halfway, and Argent relayed what they had discovered.

“I’ll get the bomb squad in,” Stilinski said with a scowl, pulling out his walkie talkie and barking orders into it.

“I guess that answers that question,” Theo shrugged.

“I’ll go with you guys,” Parrish said.

“Alright,” Argent nodded. “Let’s go.”

The four of them headed out, following Liam’s phone to the new destination. After half an hour of light jogging, Liam picked up Mason and Corey’s scent again.

“I can smell them,” he said quietly, stopping as he inhaled deeply.

“I can too,” Theo said, standing beside him.

“We must be getting close,” Argent said grimly. “Keep an eye out for traps.”

They fanned out, moving through the forest carefully. Liam stepped carefully over a hidden bear trap, having spotted a glint of metal just in time.

“Careful,” Theo warned, his eyes sharp as he glared at Liam.

“I know,” he said.

He was hyper aware of the chimera as he continued to track through the forest, his spicy scent swirling around him, intoxicating him. His lips still tingled from where Theo had kissed him, and he licked his lips, chasing the taste. Theo’s heart jumped and LIam turned to see him staring at LIam’s lips, eyes wide.

“Pay attention,” Liam scolded.

Theo jumped, startled. “Right,” he muttered, turning away. Liam smirked. At least Theo was just as affected as he was.

The four of them circled around the homestead. There were two hunters standing at the front door, large guns held in their hands lightly as they talked in low voices. Liam sent out his senses, trying to tell how many hunters there were. There had been a lot of cars back at the abandoned warehouse, and there was no telling how many people they had packed into each car.

“Four maybe,” Theo whispered, “or five?”

“The rest must be in the woods then,” Liam whispered back.

Suddenly, they heard a voice cry out in pain and rage flooded through Liam immediately. He barrelled towards the house, fangs bared.

“Liam,” Theo whispered angrily.

“That’s Mason,” he cried out. He paused just out of sight of the house and Theo ran towards him, fisting a hand in the back of his shirt.

They tilted their heads, listening.

“No, please,” they heard Corey beg. “He’s human, leave him alone.”

“Theo, let me go,” Liam snarled.

“You’ll get yourself killed,” Theo snapped.

“Mason won’t heal, I will,” he pointed out, straining forwards.

“Liam,” Theo said softly.

“Yeah, yeah, I know, you’re not dying for me,” Liam said, eyes glowing gold as they focussed on the house with a single minded intensity.

“You fucking idiot,” Theo growled. “I was lying, obviously. I’d do anything for you, up to and including dying.”

“What?” Liam said, whirling around finally.

“Was it not clear before?” Theo rolled his eyes. “I’m head over heels in love with you.”

Liam’s mouth gaped open.

“Who are you and what did you do with Theo Raeken?”

“He went on holiday for two months and realised a few things,” Theo shrugged.

Another scream echoed through the forest and Liam flinched.

“I have to,” he said, eyes pleading with Theo. His heart sank as he stared into Theo’s eyes, a horrible sense of wrongness and fear lancing through him. Why did he feel like this was the last time he would ever see him?

“Ok,” Theo whispered, letting his hand drop. Liam was gone before his hand even fell to his side, a sense of loss settling inside him. The last thing he wanted to do was turn away from Theo, but Mason needed him.

He was on the two hunters before they could even turn, let alone raise their weapons. Liam tried to dispatch them quietly, but the second guy yelled as Liam punched him and his gun clattered to the ground. Shouts could be heard from inside, and Liam burst through the door, roaring his fury.

Three hunters rose to their feet from the lounge room, turning to stare at him, eyes narrowed as they cocked their weapons. Liam’s eyes flashed.

“Kill them,” one of the hunters yelled.

Mason’s screams increased and rage and adrenaline blinded him. And then Theo was there, shoving him towards the hallway as he bared his fangs at the three hunters.

“Liam, go,” Theo roared.

Liam stumbled as he heard gunshots behind him and Theo’s pained grunt but he ran on, kicking down the first door he came across.

He came to a stop as he saw a hunter with a blade held against Mason’s throat, beady eyes fixed on Liam.

“One more step, wolf boy, and he dies,” he spat out.

Liam glanced at Corey, who was chained against the wall, tears streaming down his cheeks. He looked untouched, but Mason, Mason was a wreck. He was tied up in a chair, his clothes ripped and torn, rope burns clear on his wrists and legs. One eye was closed over, an ugly black bruise surrounding it. There were shallow cuts up and down his arms, oozing blood that dripped and lay in a pool at his feet. From the amount of it, it was clear that this torture had been going on for hours.

“Liam,” he whispered, his breath coming out of him in shaky pants.

Suddenly, his rage cleared, and he saw with perfect clarity. The man’s arm tensed, and a rivulet of blood leaked onto the knife, and then Liam was wrenching him away, shoving him up against the wall.

“I’ll kill you,” he said in a low voice, eyes sparking with the promise of death and destruction. “I’ll fucking kill you for what you did to my friend.”

“You can’t kill him,” Parrish said from the door, gun levelled at Liam’s back.

“Look at him, Parrish,” Liam said. “They did that, to a human.”

“And he’ll be going to jail for a very long time,” Parrish promised, “but I’m not gonna go and let a kid become a killer over it.”

“He’s not a kid,” the hunter muttered. “He’s a fucking monster.”

“You’re the monster,” Liam hissed, the hunter groaning as he pressed his head into the wall. One little push, and his skull would split open like a watermelon. His wolf snarled, begging for violence and blood.

“Liam,” Parrish warned.

“He deserves to die.”

“Yes, but you don’t deserve to kill him,” the hellhound said in a gentle voice. He stepped closer, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Let him go.”

“Liam, please,” Corey begged.

Liam closed his eyes, trying to get himself under control. He let the hunter drop and took a step back. Parrish pushed past him and wrapped the hunter in handcuffs, hauling him back up to his feet.

Walking over to Corey, he ripped the chains from him, and the other boy fell to his knees in front of Mason, crying as he brushed a hand over his cheek and took his pain. He pressed his forehead against Mason’s, whispering his name.

“Come on,” Parrish muttered. “Theo needs you.”

“What?” Liam said, eyes widening as he whirled to look at Parrish.

“He’s hurt,” the hellhound said.

The gunshots, the pained grunt, Liam realised. They’re hunters, they would have been poisoned bullets.

He rushed from the room and almost skidded on his knees as he fell to Theo’s side. Hands shaking, he ran them down Theo’s chest.

Theo’s eyes were closed, a thin layer of sweat beading his pale skin, barely breathing. Blood pooled underneath him, soaking into Liam’s jeans. So much blood.

“Theo,” he whispered. “Theo wake up, look at me.”

“I’m sorry,” Theo muttered, a frown creasing his face, his eyes still closed. Liam carded his hands through Theo’s hair, pulling him up and into his lap. Theo whimpered, and Liam pressed a hand to his cheek, pulling away the pain in thick black bands. Tears welled in his eyes, dripping down his cheeks and landing on Theo’s face. His vision blurred and he bit through his lip, holding in his sobs, but they wracked his body anyway, making him shake.

Liam kept watch over him, leaching his pain, listening to his weak heartbeat flutter in his chest, staring down at his lips to make sure he was breathing. When the ambulance finally arrived, Theo already looked like he had one foot in the grave. The paramedics lifted him onto a gurney and took him away, and Liam stayed in the same spot as the sound of sirens echoed and then drew away.

There was so much blood.

“They took Mason as well,” Argent informed him, pulling him to his feet. “You need to get cleaned up so that we can go to the hospital.”

“I can’t,” Liam said, eyes still glued to the puddle of blood.

Guilt wracked his body. Theo had been safe, had gotten away from all this supernatural bullshit, until Liam had called him. He had looked so healthy and happy, but now all he could think of was the pale, gaunt look of death shadowing his face. What if he didn’t make it? Theo had told him he loved him, and Liam hadn’t said it back, had abandoned him to save Mason. And mason, he would never have been tortured if he wasn’t friends with Liam.

“This is my fault,” he whispered.

“No, Liam, it’s not,” Argent said firmly, shaking him. “Snap out of it, kid.”

“My fault.”

“I’ll take him,” Parrish said.

They bundled him into the cruiser. Parrish must have gone to fetch it. In the back was the hunter. Argent was keeping watch over the others while they waited for the Sheriff. He laughed, fingers curled into the bars of the cage that separated them.

“Only good wolf is a dead one,” he whispered gleefully.

Liam ignored him, staring down at his hands, covered in blood. It was all he could smell, the metallic tang of Theo’s blood, soaking into the fabric of his jeans.

***

His mother screamed when she opened the front door.

“What happened?” She shrieked, pulling him into a bear hug, staring over his shoulder at Parrish.

“A friend of Liam’s was shot. He’s at the hospital,” he explained.

There was more conversation but Liam tuned it out. It didn’t feel real, like he was disconnected. At some point someone stripped off his clothes and shoved him under the hot spray of water. He stared down at the drain blankly as red swirled through the water and down the drain.

The water shut off and he was wrapped in a towel. He should be embarrassed that someone was drying him off and dressing him, but he felt numb.

He laid in his bed and stared at the ceiling, his mind empty.

Houses flash past as he stared out the window of the car. Someone was saying his name but it echoed, like he was hearing them down a tunnel, making his ears ring.

One foot in front of the other, and finally there are signs of life as he halted at the door, pushing back against the hand guiding him. He doesn’t want to go in that room, doesn’t want to see Theo with a million tubes pouring from his body, keeping him alive. He had heard enough to know that Theo wasn’t healing, that he was in a coma and that there was nothing anyone could do now but wait, wait and see.

“Liam,” Corey whispered from inside the room.

He closed his eyes, taking a shuddering breath and then stepping through the door.

“How is he?” He asked, his voice hoarse, eyes clenched shut. It’s his fault, his fault, his fault, and he didn’t want to see.

“No change,” Corey said. “Liam, it wasn’t your fault.”

“Yes, it was,” he said quietly. How could they even look at him? How could they stand to look at him? It was his fault, they were hurt because of him, because of what he was.

“No,” Mason croaked. Liam’s eyes flew open, seeing Mason lying in the bed, staring at him. He focused on him, ignoring the other occupant of the room lying unmoving on his bed.

“Mason,” he said, moving to his bedside. “How do you feel?”

“Between the drugs and Corey, not much,” Mason muttered, speaking slowly. Corey ran a hand through his hair, smiling weakly down at his boyfriend.

“I’m sorry,” Liam said, eyes downcast as he stared at his clenched fists. He had washed his hands so many times, but he could still feel Theo’s blood under his nails, still see the blood coating them, pooling on the floor at his knees. It haunted him.

“Nothing to be sorry for, you saved us,” Mason said, coughing at the end of the sentence. Corey hushed him, helping him sit up and sip at a cup of water he held to his lips.

“Sit with him,” Corey said quietly, looking at Liam. “He’d like that.”

Liam nodded, the numb feeling rising in his chest again as he moved over to finally look at Theo.

He was still pale, with tubes down his nose, the machine rattling with each breath. There was a large drip attached to a needle in his wrist. A grey clamp around one of his fingers lead to a machine that measured his heart rate, beeping with every pulse of blood that ran through his body. Another machine monitored his brain activity, wires connected to his temples with small round white patches. He looked away from it, swallowing past the lump in his chest, unable to stare at the thin wavy line.

Lying over the top of it all was the scent of bleach, a sickening sweet sour smell that burned at his nostrils.

Liam sat down in the chair at his bedside, his legs shaking, unable to hold him up a moment longer. It didn’t look like Theo. Didn’t smell like him. This was a stranger lying in front of him. His wolf whined in his chest, unnerved.

Reaching out, he took Theo’s hand in his. The skin was cool to the touch, his hand limp. Despair flooded him.

“Please don’t die for me,” he whispered helplessly. “Theo.”

The only response was silence, that and the sound of the machines keeping him alive.

Liam bowed his head, resting it against Theo’s hand, praying to any god that was listening, begging, pleading.

_Save him, save him and I’ll do anything._

His chest cracked open, his heart cold as it law open, raw, exposed.

_Please._

He had to tell Theo, tell him that he was sorry, tell him that he loved him too, tell him that he needed Theo just as much as Theo needed him, tell him that he wanted nothing more than to drive off into the sunset with him and never ever return.

But now, now he may never get that chance.

He pressed his lips to Theo’s hand, and waited.


End file.
